I’ve been wanting a mala for several months now. If you haven’t heard the term before, a mala is a meditation tool, a set of beads that is used for counting prayers or repeating mantras, somewhat like a rosary, except that a mala is favored by Hindus and Buddhists.

Quite some time ago I saw a video that talked about 6 power words that could transform your life. It was a sales pitch for the man’s program, however, he offered a lot of information in his introductory video, which I really appreciate. (For anyone interested in checking it out, here’s the link. You do have to sign up for his newsletter, and I can not vouch for the quality of his training.)

The six power words are a mantra: “Aum gum shreem maha lakshmi yei namaha”. Aum means pure force. Gum means removal of obstacles. Shreem is the sound of abundance. Maha symbolizes the increase of energy. Lakshmi yei represents purpose. And Namaha represents completion. The vibration of the words can, as the vibration of any words can and does, affect you on a deep and cellular level. (Which is why negative self-talk is so harmful!)

When I have used this mantra in the past, I have definitely noticed positive things – opportunities for abundance – come into my life.

Repetition is also powerful. The mantra is most effective repeated 108 times daily. Do you know how hard it is to keep track of how many times you’ve said a mantra WITHOUT the help of a mala? I do. Let’s just say I haven’t been very effective at creating a habit of saying this mantra.

I’ve had a couple of friends who had offered to make me one. For one reason or another, it hasn’t happened. (And there are absolutely no hard feelings, friends!) I even saw a woman at the Market who was selling some. Unfortunately, they were WAY out of my price range. Apparently, I needed to make it myself.

The first hurdle was what to make it from. Traditional malas are made of seeds, wood or bone. Malas made of crystals are quite popular now, and that is what I wanted. But what crystals to use?

I had a strand of emeralds, though there weren’t enough to make a mala on their own. So what to put with them? I headed to my favorite crystal guide, Love is in the Earth.

Emeralds are good for combining “intelligence with discernment, allowing for the choice of “right” action to be the only choice available. … It can be used to open, activate and to stimulate the heart chakra… [and] bring harmony to all areas of one’s life. … It can be used to eliminate negativity from one’s life and to bring forth the positive actions required to assist one in remaining centered in the practicality of one’s lifework. … It can help one to maintain the rhythmic breathing conducive to entering and attaining a meditative state. After the meditative state, it helps one to maintain the cool brilliance of the deliberate reflection and to emit the radiance of the light.”

The stones I ultimately chose to go with the emerald were kunzite and ruby.

Kunzite “activates the heart chakra and aligns the heart chakra with the throat chakra and third-eye chakra. It synthesizes the energies to produce loving thoughts and loving communication. … Kunzite can be used to remove obstacles from one’s path… and acts asa facilitator in the physical, emotional and intellectual realms. … It assists one in attaining deep meditative states and provides for centering in all situations; it helps one to mentally retire when in the midst of a crowd, to remain calm in the midst of distraction, and to sustain wisdom in the midst of folly. Kunzite also stimulates intuition and creativity during the meditative state.”

Ruby “stimulates the heart chakra and assists one in the selection and attainment of one’s ultimate values. It further stimulates the loving emotional side toward nurturing, bringing spiritual wisdom, health, knowledge and wealth. … It has been used to induce a stability in one’s economic status; it has been said that as long as one retains a bit of ruby, wealth will never depart. … The ruby encourages one to follow bliss. … The energy can assist one in changing one’s world, promoting creativity and expansiveness in awareness and manifestation.”

All together, the three stones help keep me heart-centered, promote meditation and aid abundance – very much in line with the mantra.

As I said, traditional malas have 108 beads, which is four rounds of 27 (3x3x3). When I looked at visual examples online, some showed just the 108 beads in a single loop, while others had a different bead that divided the four sections. I chose to divide mine, and because I had three different types of beads, mine actually has 112 beads, because of the dividers. I’m good with that. 🙂 And yes, I made the tassel, too!

I chanted the mantra with each bead as I placed it on the string. By the end, I was definitely in a bit of an altered state! I am looking forward to seeing what regular practice with the mala and the mantra brings me!

One Response

It’s beautiful! It’s so beautiful, in fact, that maybe you should make more to sell at the market or online.

I’ve always been interested in malas but never knew what I would say while using one. I certainly like the idea of more abundance and energy in my life, along with clearing obstacles. I also have a bunch of crystals that have been waiting to be used. Maybe I’ll make my own mala too. 🙂